Echoes
by Aunty Lala
Summary: Just when things seemed to be running smoothly for Jack and Ianto, Tosh wants to know why there is CCTV footage missing, and Owen has his earlier questions answered in ways he hadn't anticipated. Set around TV eppisode Random Shoes and in my chronology it follows on from the Education of Ianto Jones.
1. Chapter 1

Tosh found Owen sitting at his computer. 'It's not you is it Owen?'

'No Tosh, I'm an alien.'

'Some one has been doing it.'

'Am I supposed to know what that means? Maybe Jack's been having sex in his office.'

'Probably.' Tosh stopped as she considered that as the answer to her question. 'Actually Owen, you might be right.' She grinned as she thought about how much footage had been missing from the CCTV files.

Owen looked at Tosh and frowned. 'What are you on about? The world has gone mad, Gwen is chasing ghosts and wasting her time with this Eugene Jones kid. Every time I see Jack I could swear he's wearing a different shirt. Ianto is just moping around in the background, although come to think of it he's probably the only one acting normally around here. Although I could swear he smiled at me the other day, and you are talking in bloody riddles.'

'Hmm.' Tosh just agreed with him. 'But at least I know what my riddle means.'

Owen rolled his eyes and muttered to himself. 'They're all barking.' Still, it was Thursday, at least he was pretty sure it was Thursday, they really needed windows. Maybe it was Friday. He sighed as he tried to lose himself in his paperwork, he hadn't been joking when he'd told Gwen he had a stack of the stuff to do. He wasn't convinced it was just a coincidence that in the last few weeks his pile of paperwork and general admin had grown. Since he had sort of busted the tea boys precious coffee machine.

Come to think of it Jack had said something about Ianto wanting to murder him at the time. Along with something about having to talk him out of it and taking one for the team. Whatever that meant. Maybe this was Ianto's idea of a joke, death by paperwork. Actually, thinking of coffee he realised it had been a while since breakfast. And Gwen hadn't even offered to bring him anything back for lunch. He called out to Tosh. 'Oi, Tosh, I'm going out for lunch, you want to come?'

'Um, sure, I'll grab my jacket. Thanks Owen.'

'Yeah, and maybe you can explain to me why every one is acting so weird.'

The sound of Tosh's reply echoed out though the Hub, fading as they left the building.

'Not still on about pod people are you Owen...'

Jack looked up from the conference table at Ianto and smiled, revealing his dimples. 'They've all gone haven't they.'

'I believe so, Sir.'

Jack grinned. 'My office?'

'Am I going to be taking dictation Sir?'

'More than likely Ianto, more than likely.'

Jack sat in his chair and pulled Ianto down onto his lap.

'Careful Sir, remember last time we tried this.'

'If you had just sat still I'm sure the chair would have been fine.' He kissed Ianto. 'You talk too much, and we don't know how long they will be gone. I swear you dropped your pen on purpose.'

Ianto gave Jack that little half smile he knew would get a reaction. 'Both times Sir.'

'I knew it.'

Ianto smiled, it was a delicate smile where just the right side of his lips rose a fraction.

'Ianto!'

Ianto kissed Jack. 'You say I talk too much.' He ran his hands though Jack's hair and dominated him with a kiss. Jack held Ianto and let him. He hoped Ianto wasn't going to freeze up on him again so he didn't push, rather, he let Ianto lead. Things had been better between them since that night at Ianto's flat, and the craziness of the day that had followed. He didn't want to think about Suzie, about having to shoot another friend. Having to order the death of another woman to protect his team, and hopefully save the world. There had been too many echoes between the death of Lisa, and the eventual death of Suzie. And his having to made the decisions that needed to be made. Sometimes he wondered when it would end, would he ever be able to hang up his gun and let someone else save the world.

And somehow, Ianto had come back to him in spite of it all. He wasn't going to waste time questioning it, not when Ianto was unbuttoning his shirt. He debated helping Ianto and decided to concentrate on his lovers buttons instead, slipping them undone as his actions mirrored Ianto's. Of course it helped that Ianto didn't wear tee shirts under his shirts, but that was a minor difference as he managed to slip between the buttons and get his hands on Ianto. Moving up his back he got lost in meeting Ianto's kisses.

Owen looked at Tosh. 'I left my phone in the Hub, come on.' He turned around and headed back.

Tosh followed him, thoughtful. 'I've got mine, I'm not sure it's a big deal.'

Owen stopped at the door of the tourist office. 'I need my phone Tosh.'

Tosh sighed. 'I don't think you should go in there Owen.'

Owen turned around. 'You know Tosh, sometimes I think this place gets to all of us in the end. Look what it did to Suzie.'

'I'd rather not thank you Owen, it still gives me the creeps to think about what she was prepared to do, how many lives she was prepared to ruin and for what Owen?'

'To live forever Tosh. But I don't want to live forever.'

'I also don't think you need to worry about your phone.'

Owen was still standing outside the tourist office entrance. 'Are you trying to stop me from going back inside the Hub for a particular reason Tosh, because this isn't like you.'

'Not more pod people again is it Owen?'

'What, oh yeah, that was when, a month ago. But you have to admit, things have been a bit weird around here.'

'More or less weird than usual Owen?'

'I don't know Tosh, but I will work it out. Are you coming.'

'I might stay here and wait, and Owen.'

He turned back to her. 'Yes Tosh?'

'Maybe you don't want to know.'

'What do you know Tosh? What aren't you saying?'

She shrugged as she shook her head. 'Nothing Owen.'

Ianto pulled back as he shrugged his shirt off before removing Jack's and pulled at the hem of his tee shirt. 'It would help if you didn't wear these, Sir.'

Jack re-appeared as Ianto tugged his shirt away. 'I could, but it's cold in Cardiff.' He reached up to Ianto's cheek, fingertips brushing down along his jaw and across his lips. 'But I could take your suggestion into consideration.' He reached around Ianto and picked up a pen.

Ianto looked at Jack. 'When you said dictation I thought you were implying something other than my shorthand, Sir.'

Jack grinned. 'This isn't actually a pen, Ianto Jones, it's a device to turn the security camera's off. So you wont have to keep removing files and stashing them on your flash drive. Which we haven't watched yet, so I can only assume your keeping it all to yourself.'

Ianto smiled. 'I was saving it for later, Sir.'

Jack clicked the pen. 'Well, we can discuss that later, right now you are still wearing too many clothes.'

'You always think I'm wearing too many clothes.'

'Yeah, although I do like the suits.'

Ianto kissed Jack as he worked his belt and brushed his hand against Jack's growing erection. He almost wished Jack hadn't switched the camera off. He rolled his eyes as he saw Jack's boxers. 'How many pairs of these do you actually have, Jack?'

'They were on sale. Maybe we can go shopping tomorrow, you can help me try some new ones on.'

Ianto ignored Jack's grin as he reached past the chartreuse silk, he still couldn't watch old star trek reruns without thinking of Jack's boxers with William Shatner's face all over them. Fingers running along Jack's skin, feeling the pulse of Jack's heartbeat, the cock in his hands jumping at his touch.

Jack moaned softly. 'Ianto.'

Ianto ran his long delicate fingers around Jack's cock, his touch firm, controlled and gentle. He moved up and down with slow, deliberate strokes designed to drive Jack wild. Jack moaned and tried to move but Ianto had him pinned into the chair, he was in control and he liked it. Ianto could barely think as he breathed in Jack's moan swallowed up in a kiss. He reached for Jack's balls and cupped them lightly, feeling the weight in his hand, the texture, his other hand on Jack's chest as he pushed him back into the chair. They overbalanced and ended up going backwards as the chair fell onto the floor.

'I was sitting still this time Sir.'

Jack groaned as he found himself on the floor, still in the chair but lying on his back.

Ianto straddling him. 'Are you okay Jack?'

'I'm just not sure how we can explain this to Owen.'

Ianto frowned as he shifted his weight so he wasn't pressing down on Jack. 'Why would we have to explain anything to Owen, have you hurt yourself?'

A throat cleared behind them. 'I didn't need to see that.'

Jack brushed a kiss over Ianto's jaw, his voice quiet so only Ianto could hear him. 'That's why we have to explain this to Owen, I'm pretty sure I'll be fine though.' Ignoring Owen for the moment he watched Ianto carefully.

Ianto didn't blush, his face lost all colour as he scrambled to his feet and felt torn between putting his shirt on and helping Jack up. He reached a hand out to Jack and pulled him to his feet, wincing as the man's pants pooled around his ankles. Jack just stood there and grinned at Owen a moment before he pulled his clothes together.

'Can I help you Owen?'

'Yeah, give me some Retcon please so I can burn the image of, that, out of my mind.'

Ianto handed Jack his tee shirt as he reached for his own shirt and tie, trying to ignore the look on Owen's face. He could see Tosh over Owen's shoulder and groaned softly. This couldn't get any worse. Well, Gwen wasn't there, that was a plus, it put some limit on his humiliation. Jack was still just standing there grinning like this was a common occurrence. Which Ianto had to concede may have been the case, for all he knew. At least Jack was wearing his pants now.

Owen turned towards Tosh. 'Did you know?'

'I said your phone wasn't that important Owen.' She turned and walked away leaving the three men facing each other.

Jack looked at Ianto before he moved out of his office and pulled Owen along with him, shutting the door behind him.

Ianto just stared at the closed door and wondered what it would take for the ground to open him up and close over him again. Some how he didn't think he was that lucky. He looked around the room and decided to pick the chair up, he didn't want to think what Owen would have seen if his timing had been any worse. Ianto sat in Jack's chair and poured himself a whiskey. What was it about his initiating things with Jack that just seemed to go wrong? Last time he had frozen up, this time Owen had interrupted them. Head in his hands he wasn't sure this could get any worse. He didn't even look up when Jack walked back into the room, shutting the door behind him. He poured himself a whiskey and laid a hand on Ianto's head. Ianto turned towards him.

'Don't, they were going to work it out eventually.'

'I, Jack.'

Jack sipped his whiskey, this was either going to end badly or they would get past Ianto's embarrassment at his workmates finding them together. He really hoped it was the latter. He wasn't ready to give up on Ianto just yet. He was fairly sure he'd only just gotten him back after the last time. But he knew it wouldn't matter what he said, Ianto had to make the connection himself. Much as he wanted to tell his young lover that the workmates always found out in the end. Owen was certainly in no position to pass judgement, Suzie, Gwen... Jack did the only thing he could as he pulled Ianto into his arms. 'We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.'

Ianto sighed and looked away from Jack, not sure he could speak if he could see the man. 'I don't want to even think about it.'

Jack held Ianto, his breath soft on Ianto's neck. 'We don't have to talk if you don't want to. Gwen probably won't be back today, Owen and Tosh are taking a long lunch break. It's just you and me.'

'It was just you and me fifteen minutes ago, god what would he have seen if the chair hadn't fallen over backwards.'

Jack grinned, he had a pretty good idea.

'Oh shut up Jack, you have a one track mind.'

Jack looked down and admired the view he had of Ianto's arse, his hands moving down Ianto's body. 'Yeap.' He brushed a light kiss on Ianto's neck. 'Do you want to go home?'

Ianto pulled back so he could look at Jack. 'That wont solve anything, I can't just run away because someone interrupted us. We were fooling around in your office, the door is made of glass Jack.'

'So someone was going to catch us eventually anyway?'

Ianto rolled his eyes at Jack. 'I am not the first person at work you have fucked, am I supposed to think you've never been caught with your pants down before?'

'It's been longer than you might think since that's happened Ianto Jones.'

'I'll be fine, I am hoping you threatened Owen with a very painful death if he says anything?'


	2. Chapter 2

Jack turned back to Ianto. 'Now, where were we?'

'You were telling me about the painful death you threatened Owen with.' Ianto sighed. 'And how long before he tells Gwen?'

Jack shook his head. 'I'm not sure he will, and not just because I threatened him with grievous bodily harm.'

Ianto looked hopeful. 'Are you sure I can't just shoot him?'

Jack kissed Ianto. 'No, I am the only one who gets to make those sorts of decisions around here.'

Ianto kissed Jack back. 'Well if you ever decide you need to, you will let me know.'

Jack shook his head as he pulled Ianto back into his arms. 'You could look less hopeful at the idea Ianto Jones.' He moved his hand down until it was resting on Ianto's hip. 'Now, about before, are you thinking of perhaps picking things up where you left them off?'

Ianto tucked his hands into Jack's back pockets resting his head on Jack's shoulder. 'Perhaps we could take things into your bunker, the door locks from the inside doesn't it?'

'Yes Ianto it does.'

'Good, I couldn't cope with any more interruptions right now.' His hands moved up Jack's back and Ianto found Jack's lips with his. They fell into the kiss and Ianto forgot where they were, but only for a moment as he pulled back. 'Your bed, Jack Harkness, now.'

'Yes Sir.' Jack saluted Ianto as he grinned before climbing down into his bunker, taking great delight in watching Ianto follow him down. The hatch firmly closed before Ianto turned to Jack.

'I believe you were naked when we were interrupted, Sir.'

'Yes Ianto, I was.'

'Then I suggest you take your clothes off.'

Jack smiled. 'And you locked the hatch?'

'I think so Sir.'

Jack smiled at Ianto as he began unbuttoning his shirt. Ianto just stood there and watched.

'It might be faster if you helped.'

Ianto shook his head as he leaned against the wall of the bunker, arms folded over his chest. 'Not this time Sir.'

Jack tossed his shirt over the back of the chair and dropped his pants to the floor.

'And those god awful boxers Sir, don't forget them.'

'Your turn now Ianto.'

Ianto undid the knot of his tie and slowly pulled the end loose, his eyes on Jack's as he draped the tie over the chair, followed by his own shirt. 'As I recall, I was still wearing my pants when we were, interrupted.'

Jack walked slowly towards Ianto. 'You mean when the chair crashed backwards just as things were getting, interesting.'

'I did caution you about the chair, as you may recall.'

'We didn't break it this time.' Jack reached for Ianto's belt and slowly unbuckled it, withdrawing the leather from the belt tabs, it too was draped over the back of the chair.

Ianto reached out, his hands on either side of Jack's face as he pulled him closer and kissed him. He was hesitant, as if still deciding on his level of commitment to Jack.

Jack just stood there and let Ianto make up his mind. Not including Owen, the last time they had an interruption when Ianto was taking the lead they had ended up exchanging words. Things had been said in the darkness that Jack hadn't been sure they could come back from. But they had, and so it seemed, this hurdle was also being conquered.

Ianto pulled Jack even closer, his hands moving down Jack's back as they kissed. Tongues demanding surrender as Jack brought his hands up to hold Ianto's head while he kissed him back. He felt the whisper of fabric as Ianto's trousers dropped to the floor leaving them skin to skin. Their cocks hardening as they brushed against each other. He groaned as Ianto reached for his cock and stroked him with hands that grew more confident.

'Oh Ianto!'

Ianto rested his head on Jack's shoulder, this was as far as he had ever gotten before either freezing up or being interrupted. 'I'm, ah, not sure what comes next, Sir.'

Jack grinned as he turned his face towards Ianto, his kisses moving from his lovers forehead to his lips, cradling his head as he tried to catch his own breath. Ianto's hand on his cock moving faster as his breath was wrung from his body in soft moans. 'Oh god Ianto. I think you might be on the right track there.'

Ianto just held on and kept moving his hand until he felt Jack explode. 'Ah, Sir?'

'What did you think was going to happen Ianto.' Jack teased his lover.

Ianto let out a deep sigh. 'I hadn't really followed that thought through to, well.'

Jack grinned as he grabbed a towel. 'Come to bed with me Ianto. We can work it out together.'

After a brief Gwen related interruption Jack had joined him in bed once more, where they made love until he and Ianto had fallen back, spent. Now Ianto lay wrapped up in Jack's arms. He was looking at the ceiling, without the hatch door open they didn't have the ambient light of the Hub to surround them and Jack had switched his lamp off. Ianto wasn't sure he had seen it before, but he reasoned it was logical for there to be a light source in Jack's bunker bedroom. He listened to soft breathing as the man slept next to him. He was still mortified Owen and Toshiko had seen him with Jack, but what was harder to deal with was not knowing how Jack felt. Realising his own affections were growing for the man was hard enough. Not knowing Jack's, that was difficult for him. Was he just a passing shag? A convenient lover the American didn't have to expend any great level of energy in pursuing?

It didn't feel that way, when they were in each other's arms, in the gentle words Jack would whisper as they drifted to sleep. Saying things he sometimes only imagined he was hearing. But what was their relationship outside of the bedroom? He wondered what Monday would bring, when the team was back together and he was faced with an Owen and Tosh who now knew what he was getting up to when alone in the Hub with Jack. And sometimes when they weren't strictly alone if they thought they might get away with it. Ianto didn't want to turn into some sighing damsel in distress over the direction of the relationship with Jack. He wanted to know but he wasn't going to ask his lover.

He wondered if that was out of a fear that for Jack he was just a shag, or if he was more afraid that it was something else. If Jack loved him back, if they were a couple, that meant he really was gay or at least bisexual. How was he going to explain that to his mother. She was going to have a heart attack. Ianto tried to close his eyes but his brain was too awake to let him drift into the oblivion of sleep and dreams. He felt Jack stir and slowed his breathing, he didn't want to talk about it. Although he was pretty sure Jack wouldn't welcome the conversation anyway. He would take each day as it came and see what tomorrow brought when it got there and not worry about it until then.

People were in love without being in relationships all the time. The fact that he was actually sleeping with Jack was just a bonus. Look at Tosh, she'd been in love with Owen since he'd joined the team. He'd shagged practically everyone but her and she was still in love with him. Ianto raked his hand though his hair, that wasn't a great example. Jack stirred again and opened his eyes.

'You're thinking again aren't you.'

Ianto nodded and rolled his eyes, unless Jack could see in the dark he wouldn't really know he'd just agreed with him. 'Something like that Sir.'

'You know, sometimes I don't mind the Sir when we are in bed, but I think it's something you hide behind too.'

Ianto rolled onto his side, lying against Jack, their noses touching in the dark, in the narrow bed. Lying in each other's arms, breath exchanged as they lay there in the darkness.

'Maybe I do. What do you hide behind Jack?'

Jack reached for Ianto's hand, pulling it up to hold against his heart. 'I hide behind a lot of things but I think neither of us want to explore that just yet. Can you exist in the moment Ianto Jones?'

'When I'm with you I can, Jack.' It was safe in the dark, in Jack's arms, he didn't have to think in the dark. And if he didn't think, it didn't matter, uncertainty was a thing for the light, he was safe in the dark, with Jack. He thought he might just be safe no matter where he was, if he was with Jack.


End file.
